Keyless automobile-clock.



W. E. PORTER.

KEYLESS AUTOMOBILE CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1913.

1,074,975, I Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. E. PORTER. KEYLESS AUTOMOBILE CLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1913.

Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT ornien.

WILSCN E. PORTER, 0F NEW'HAVTEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSSIGNOR Tim THE NEW HAVEN CLOCK OF NEW HAVEN GONNECTICUT, .A- CCBPORATION,

KEYLESS TGMQBILE CLOCKa Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Cot. 7,1913.

Application filed January 11', I913. Serial K037413538.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILSON E. PORTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Keyless Automobile-Clocks; and I do hereby declare the fol-lowing, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the characters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact descrlption of the same, 7 and which. salddrawlngs constltu-te part of removed from its case and illustrating, in particular, the spring employed for holding, the winding and-setting shell in its normali f I the said headless screws project through the adjustment for winding. Fig. 4 a view in! front elevation of the movement with the dial-plate removed, showing the windingand-setting shell in its normal position.v Fig. 5 a view of the movement in verticali section on the line ab of Fig; 2, and look-- ing from front to rear. Fig, 6 a correspond ing view looking forward.

My invention relates to an improvement in keyless automobile clocks, the object being lsetting. shell 2 is normally meshed into a to produce a simple, compact, convenient and reliable clock dispensing with the use of a key for winding, and also for setting, if desired With these ends in view my invention consists in a keyless automobile clockhaving certain details of construction and combina tions of, parts as will be hereinafter dev I mam winding. or spring-barrel arbor 24" scribed and pointed out in the claims.

In carrying out my invention as herein shown, I employ whatfor convenience I shall call a winding-and-setti-ng member in the form of a shell 2 which consists of a deep, cylindrical sheet-metal cup having its bottom centrallv cut away to form an inwardly turned flange3 the edge of which is toothed to form an internal gear 4. This shell, as shown, Yhasbearing and turns upon the edges of the front movement-plate 5 and the front intermediate movement-plate 6 of the movement, these plates being sufficiently separated toform what amounts to a wide bearing for the shell, Upon the periphery of its. projecting front end the shell 2 is provided with threads! for the application to it of an internally threaded bezel 8 which carries the glass or crystal 9, and is formed with a knurled circumferential band or rim 10 by means of which the bezel is grasped for turning. it, and consequently the shell, in one direction or the other, as desired, as well as for drawing it forward. Upon its rear edge the bezel is formed with a flange 11 which laps over the forward edge of a cylindrical sheet-metal clock-case body 12 the rear end" of which, as shown, is enlarged in diameter to form a rim or housing 13 for the reception of the circular castmetal base 14- which is adapted to be screwed i or otherwise secured to the clash-board of an I automobile in any desired manner. said base 14 receives four headless-screws 15 the forward ends of which are entered into The the count-erbored and threaded ends of. the movement pillars 16, while the rear ends'of base 14 and receive nuts 17 which force the base is to abearing upon nuts 18 applied to jthe screws 15 and holding the rear movement plate 19- against the rear ends of the movement pillars 16. I do not, however, limit myself to any particular form of clock case 12 or base 14;, or to any particular way of mounting the movement in the base.

The internal gear 4 of the winding-and winding pinion E20- mounted upon a shouldered' stud 21 riveted into the rear intermediate movement plate 22 the edge of which forms a bearing for the rear face of the flange 3 of the shell 2'.

The pinion 20 in turn meshes into the main winding-wheel 23 which is mounted upon the front end of the which, asshown, is held upon the said arbor bya pin 25. The said wheel 23 is furnished with the usual pawl 26' hung upon a stud 27 and held in engagement with the teeth of the wheel by a pawl-spring 28'. The arbor 24 carries the spring-barrel 29 containing the main spring and, furnished upon its forward edge in the usual manner with the main driving-wheel 30 of the clock-train.

The internal gear 4: of the shell 2' is normally maintained in mesh with the winding pinion: 20 by a longitudinally bowed fiat spring 31 located in a space 32 and interposed between the rear face of the front intermediate movement plate 6 and the front face of the flange 3 upon the rear end of the windingand-setting shell 2. As thus arranged, the spring 31 exerts a constant effort to maintain the laterally movable shell 52 at the limit of its rearward excursion, and with the face of its flange 3 bearing against the forward face of the rear interi'nediate iovement plate 22 so that the clock is normally adjusted for winding the main spring.

To set the clock, the bezel 8 is grasped by its knurled band or rim 10 and drawn directly forward, compressing the spring 31 and transferring, as it were, the engagement of its internal gear a from the winding pinion 20 to a driving-and-setting wheel 33 located in the space 32 aforesaid and mounted upon a short arbor 34: bearing at its rear end in the front intermediate movement-plate 6, and at its forward end in the front movement-plate 5. This arbor 3a carries at its projecting forward end a driven settingwheel 35 located between the front movement-plate 5 and the dial plate 36, resting in fact upon the front face of the front movement-plate 5. The said wheel 35 is constantly in mesh with the dial-wheel 43 the pinion 37 of which is constantly in mesh with an ordinary socket-wheel 38. The dial-plate 36 is secured in the ordinary manner to the front movement-plate 5 and carries a dial 39 over which the minute hand 4:0 and hour'hand 4L1 sweep. A rim or deflector 42 carried by the bezel 8 is interposed between the crystal 9 and the dial 39.

It will be understood from the foregoing that the spring 31 normally holds the winding-and-setting shell 2 in position for winding the main spring of the clock. To set the clock the bezel must be drawn directly forward by grasping its knurled rim 10, whereby its internal gear 4 will be engaged with the wheel 35 which is a member of the dial train. The shell is now rotated in one direction or the other to set the hands, the forward draft upon the shell being constantly maintained to oifset the effort of the spring 31 to retract the shell into its normal position in which the gear 4 is meshed into the winding pinion 20. I wish in particular to call attention to my improved feature of supporting the rotatable winding member 2 upon one or more of the movement plates. As shown the winding-andsetting shell 2 is laterally moved to enable it to discharge its two-fold function of winding and setting. If desired its movement may be limited to a rotary movement in which case other means would be employed for bringing it into operative relations with the dial train.

I claim 1. In a keyless clock, the combination with a movement having one or more circular movement-plates, of a rotary winding-and setting member carrying an internal gear and having bearing upon one or more of the said plates of the clock.

2. In a keyless clock, the combination with a movement having a plurality of circular movement-plates, of a rotary winding-and-setting member provided with an internal gear and having bearing on a plurality of the said circular plates.

3. In a keyless clock, the combination with a movement having a circular front movement-plate and a circular intermediate movement-plate, of a rotary winding-andsetting member carrying an internal gear and having bearing upon the said circular front movement-plate and circular intermediate movement-plate.

4:. In a keyless automobile clock, the combination with a movement having one or more circular movement-plates, of a rotary windingandsetting member having bearing upon the said plates, a bezel mounted upon the forward end of the said memher for operating the same, and an internal gear located at the rear end of the said member for co-action with the winding and the setting trains of the movement.

5. In a keyless automobile clock, the combination with a clock movement having one or more circular movement-plates, of a rotary winding-and-setting member having bearing upon one or more of the said plates and provided with an internal gear for co-action with the winding and the setting trains of the movement, a bezel mounted upon the forward end of the said member for operating the same, and a circular clock-case body having its forward edge inserted under the rear edge of the said bezel.

6. In a keyless clock, the combination with a movement having one or more circular movement-plates, of a rotary Windingand-setting member having bearing upon one or more of the said plates, a bezel mounted upon the projecting forward end of the said member for the operation thereof, and an internal gear formed upon an inwardly turned flange located at the rear end of the said member and co-acting with the winding and the setting trains of the movement.

7 In a keyless clock, the combination with a movement having one or more circular movement-plates, of a rotary and laterally movable winding-and-setting member having bearing upon the said plates, a bezel mounted upon the forward end of the said member for the rotary and lateral movement thereof, an internal gear carried by the said member, and a spring co-acting with the said member for normally maintaining its internal gear in operative relations with the winding-train of the clockmovement, the said internal gear of the member being transferred to operative relations with the setting-train of the clockmovement by the lateral movement of the member against the tension of its said spring.

8. In a keyless clock, the combination with a movement having one or more circular movement-plates, of a deep sheet-metal rotary Winding-andsetting member having bearing upon one or moreof the said plates, and struck up to produce at its inner or rear end an inwardly turned flange provided with an internal gear, and a bezel mounted'upon the forward end of the said member for operating the same, the said gear of the member being brought into operative relations with the winding and setting trains of the movement for winding and setting the clock.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WVILSON E. PORTER.

\Vitnesses:

CLARA L; WVEED, MALooLM P. NIoHoLs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

